The present invention relates to the aforementioned type of wheelchair lift apparatus and which includes a new and novel brake system to provide a positive and safe braking action to the lift carriage upon vertical up and down movement of the carriage upon actuation of a threaded drive screw pursuant to automatic control by the user. Also, the invention incorporates a new and improved drive mechanism for automatically pivoting the carriage about a vertical axis with a generally horizontal plane for movement into and out of the side door of a van or the like.
Heretofore, such rotary wheelchair lift apparatus have been available but have not incorporated a braking system to insure a positive and safe braking action on the lift carriage during operation by the user. It has been recognized that such braking system is important to provide a fail-safe and reliable system, particularly in situations where accidents might result by reason of drive belt breakage, motor failure, or the like such as caused by excessive loading and/or prolonged wear.